Al-AZIZIYA, Libya - Dozens of horsemen in flowing robes sat on their mounts cheering as men around them fired AK-47s in the air, proclaiming their allegiance to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi and their readiness to march on the rebel-held western mountains.

The pomp and bravado on display during the rally in the sweltering town square in al-Aziziya south of the capital is part of a concerted effort by Gadhafi to mobilize one of the pillars of his regime - Libya's tribes - to combat recent rebel advances.

"Look at the tribes of the Warshafana, who dares to challenge them? No one can; they will help free Libya from the hands of these rebels," Gadhafi's voice boomed out from speakers at the rally. "You are preparing today to march to the western mountains to cleanse it and liberate it from the traitors and mercenaries."

It's not the first time Gadhafi has tried to rally the tribes. Since the Libyan uprising began in mid-February, he has threatened to unleash angry tribesmen on opposition-held towns, although nothing ever materialized.

This time, the move appears aimed at countering the rebels' recent diplomatic and battlefield momentum in the nearby mountains.

Last week, more than 30 nations including the United States gave the rebels a boost by recognizing their National Transitional Council as the country's legitimate government, potentially freeing up billions of dollars in urgently needed cash.

And on Libyan soil, Arab and Berber rebels have driven Gadhafi's forces out of much of the Nafusa mountains, forming a third front against Tripoli. In the first week of July, when the rebels took the town of Qawalish, they were within 160 kilometers of Tripoli, although their advance has since stalled.

Over the past week, Gadhafi has started injecting more and more references to the tribes in his almost daily speeches and begun talking about a popular march of "millions" of tribesmen to reclaim the lost territory.

associated press

Associated Press

(China Daily 07/22/2011 page12)